DIY SEO Part 3
In this series I will discuss the process of selecting a web designer
Cost is one of the biggest factors involved in commissioning a web designer, most people are quickly drawn to the cheapest option, this however may not be the cheapest option in the long term.
Before starting the process of searching for a designer you need to consider the following;
Are you just after an Internet presence, many business websites simply want a basic website - an extension of their business card.
If you are looking for a cheap option, you can build one yourself or get a site built for around £300
Will your website just target Pay Per Click (PPC)?
PPC Websites
The most suitable solution is a software based website, which uses dynamic web pages. Dynamic Pages can be automatically generated to suit the visitor, pages don’t actually exist, they are generated automatically by software held on a server.
SEF Websites
With the increased cost of PPC, most people would prefer a search engine friendly website. The 2 options I will discuss are Content Management Systems (CMS) and Bespoke Database driven websites built with Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).
Content Management Systems (CMS)
Advantages - Good for online retailers, have very clever back end tools
Disadvantages - Difficult to make all pages search engine friendly, system are held within a software package on the designers server, always leaving ownership concerns. Template based, although your website may look like no other on the Internet, Google dislikes the cod used to make templates.
Bespoke Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
Advantages – Search engine friendly due to clear bloat free code. Flexible, adding functions at a later stage is not difficult, backend tools may appear less attractive, that said they are generally user friendly.
Disadvantages - Difficult to design an online retail website and can be costly.
Conclusion
As you can see there are many things to consider when having a website designed. This is made even more complicated by designers naturally claiming their sites are the best and search engine friendly. The truth is, very few designers who produce sites under £5000 have a clue how to produce a balanced site that incorporates all aspects that are needed to have a successful website in the short, medium and long term.
We have worked with many design teams over the years, some good, some poor, however over this period we have built up a good relationship with good quality design teams who will produce a site that will serve the client well, at an affordable price. If you would like to discuss this matter further, drop me a line at info@businessservicesuk.com
The next article in the series will discuss keyword research.
P Arkwright
This article has been sponsored by Sweet Ideas, The UK's leading supplier of Promotional Sweets
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